Echinacea plant named ‘Cinnamon Cupcake’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echinacea  plant named ‘Cinnamon Cupcake’ characterized by red to red orange ray florets, enlarged red disc florets forming an anemone-type inflorescence, contrasting dark stems, a multicrown, dwarf habit with strong upright stems, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Echinacea spp.

Variety designation: ‘Cinnamon Cupcake’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEchinacea and given the cultivar name ‘Cinnamon Cupcake’. Echinacea isin the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar is a fourth generationseeding from a planned breeding program for double anemone flowereddwarf Echinacea. The exact parents of this selection are unknown,unnamed, proprietary plants.

Compared to Echinacea purpurea ‘Cranberry Cupcake’, U.S. Plant Pat. No.23,020, the new cultivar has cinnamon red flowers rather than cranberrypink.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Secret Love’ U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. 13/573,349, the new cultivar is shorter.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Hot Papaya’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,022), the newcultivar is shorter and more compact, has more crowns, moreinflorescences per stem, and an inflorescence that is more red in color.

This new Echinacea cultivar is distinguished by:

-   -   1. red to red orange ray florets,    -   2. enlarged red disc florets forming an anemone-type        inflorescence,    -   3. contrasting dark stems,    -   4. a multicrown, dwarf habit with strong upright stems, and    -   5. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the inflorescences and habit of a two-year-old Echinacea‘Cinnamon Cupcake’ in the trial field in full sun in mid-July in Canby,Oreg. A black background was dropped behind the plant to show the habit.

FIG. 2 shows a close up of the flowers.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Echinacea cultivarbased on observations of a three-year-old specimen growing in the groundin the trial beds in full sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 on theUSDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. inAugust to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall inCanby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. Thecolor descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.        -   Size.—Grows to about 40 cm wide and 41 cm tall to top of            inflorescences.        -   Form.—Basal clump, with about 35 stems from the base.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Roots.—Fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,            ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from            cuttings from the crown.-   Stem (flowering):    -   -   Type.—Ascending, with 0 to 2 flowering branches off the main            flowering stems.        -   Size.—To 39 cm tall to a terminal inflorescence and 4 mm            wide at base.        -   Internode length.—2.5 cm to 3.5 cm.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose.        -   Color.—Greyed Purple 187A.-   Leaf (basal):    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—Basal.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 7 cm long and 2.5 cm wide.        -   Margins.—Serrate, slightly undulate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—Pinnate with three main veins from near the base,            Yellow Green 147C on top and 146C on bottom.        -   Color.—Closest to: topside, Yellow Green 147A, bottom side            Yellow Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—Grows to 10 cm long and 2 mm wide,            strigose, Yellow Green 147C tinted Greyed Purple 187A.-   Leaf (stem):    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 8 cm long and 2.8 cm wide.        -   Margins.—Entire, slightly undulate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—Pinnate with three main veins from near the base,            Yellow Green 147C on top and 146C on bottom.        -   Color.—Closest to: topside, Yellow Green 147A, bottom side            Yellow Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—Grows to 5 cm long and 2 mm wide,            strigose, Yellow Green 147C tinted Greyed Purple 187A near            the base.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Composite on terminal stalked heads.        -   Number of flowering stems from the ground.—About 35.        -   Flowering stem.—Grows to 39 cm tall from the base of the            plant to the terminal inflorescence and can grow to 9 cm            long from the top stem leaf to the base of an inflorescence;            sometimes branched, with 1 to 2 inflorescences per stem;            diameter growing to 6 mm wide near the inflorescence;            strigose; Greyed Purple 187A.        -   Size.—Grows to 4.5 cm wide and 5 cm deep as disc enlarges.        -   Form.—Ray florets held reflexed, mature disc is conic.        -   Immature inflorescence.—Grows to 4 cm wide and 1.5 cm deep,            ray florets held slightly upright and rolled up so only the            back color shows, Greyed Red 178B, disc color two toned            Greyed Red 181 A where florets opening and Greyed Purple            187A where florets closed.        -   Ray florets.—Without pistil or stamen, about 16 full size,            grow to 35 mm long and 6 mm wide, oblanceolate with the tip            two toothed (each acute), entire margins, base attenuate,            glabrous on both sides; topside color Orange Red N34 on            bottom half lightening to 34C near apex, bottom side Greyed            Red 178B.        -   Disc.—Flat becoming conic, becoming 27 mm deep and 50 mm            wide with maturity, overall color is Red 46A.        -   Disc florets.—About 350 in number, each with 1 pistil and 4            stamen, grow to 17 mm long and 4 mm wide, each with one            persistent bract (10 mm long with the top 2 mm colored            Greyed Purple 187A on tip then 1 mm Orange Red 32A, then            Yellow Green 148D to lower 6 mm White NN155B); showy 2 to 3            lobed corollas to 15 mm long and 4 mm wide, tubular on the            bottom with the lobes spread out like a fan, glabrous on            both sides, back side color Red Purple 59B, inside color Red            45A; pistil 9 mm long, ovary 4 mm long, White NN155A, style            4 mm long Red Purple 59C, 2-branched stigma spreading 2 mm            wide, Greyed Purple 187A; stamen 5 mm long, anthers 2 mm            long and Greyed Purple 187A, filaments 3 mm long, White            155A, pollen none.        -   Phyllaries.—In 4 leafy series, area 2.5 cm wide and 5 mm            deep, lobes lanceolate in shape, slightly reflexed, grow to            5 mm long and 3 mm wide, Yellow Green 146B, margins            strigose, tip acute, strigose on both sides.        -   Receptacle.—Grows to 10 mm wide and 10 mm deep, White 155A.        -   Bloom period.—July through October in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—Floral.        -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about two weeks in            Canby, Oreg.-   Seeds: None seen.    -   -   Fertility.—Poor.-   Disease and pests: No pests or diseases have been observed on plants    grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg. No resistances are    known.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.